Incidentally
by The Incredible Klutz
Summary: When Alex is babysitting for a friend of Jack's the house is attacked by three unknown men. Was this attack aimed at Alex, or was it a pure coincidence?
1. Chapter 1

**A new Alex Rider story, because my other's were deleted. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except my computer. I do infact own that.**

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"Thank you so much, Alex," Mrs. Wallace, a blonde woman that Jack had befriended smiled at him kindly. "I left out some sandwiches for you and Sean. They're on the counter, next to the sink. My mobile and the doctor's numbers are on the fridge. Here's Sean's inhaler, his asthma is pretty well under control but just in case."

Alex took the small inhaler and slipped it into his pocket. "Does Sean have a bed time?"

"Nine o'clock." Mrs. Wallace nodded. "Thank you again Alex. I wouldn't ask you to do this but I've got to get Neil back from his debriefing. Him and a few other men got flown into Germany a few months ago. It was all very hush-hush. We're going out to eat so we should be back around ten or so. You're welcome to any food in the house."

"Alright, thanks." Alex smiled at the friendly woman, trying to let her know that she could leave and everything would be fine. Mrs. Wallace seemed to take the hint and gave her son a quick kiss on the forehead, chastised him to behave and was gone.

"Okay, Sean, what do you want to do?" Alex asked looking at the small blonde boy that stood behind him. "Want those sandwiches your mum left?" Sean nodded shyly and darted into the kitchen. He had climbed onto a chair and had a sandwich in his hands before Alex had rounded the corner.

"So how old are you, Sean?" Alex asked, trying to create conversation with his ward for the night. He held up six fingers. "Really?" He forced a smile and parroted something that he had heard several times as he grew up. "You look so much older."

Sean smiled at him and continued eating. "How old are you?" He asked quietly.

"Fourteen. But I'll be fifteen in about a month." Sean nodded, and returned his eyes to his plate. "So do you have any games that you like to play? Like… Monopoly or checkers?"

"I like chess. My dad taught me how to play it. But I'm not very good." Sean said meekly.

"I know how to play chess. We can do that if you'd like to." Alex offered. Sean nodded his agreement and Alex felt relief wash over him at having something to do. "Alright, are you done?" Sean nodded again and Alex cleared away his plate. "Why don't you go and get it ready? I'll put this in the dishwasher and be in there in a minute."

Sean jumped down from his chair and scampered out of the room. Alex rinsed the plates clean of their crumbs and was loading them into the dishwasher when a crash caused him to jump and abandon the chore.

"Sean? Are you okay?" Alex called, closing the dishwasher and heading out of the kitchen. There was no answer from the boy and Alex quickened his pace, heading for the living room. Alex entered the room and was promptly seized from behind and hurled to the ground.

Alex rolled sideways and his attacker's foot missed his head by a second. Alex launched himself up from the floor at the man and his fist connected with his nose. He heard a satisfying crunch before his arm was gripped and he was tossed to the side into the coffee table.

Alex's head connected with the wooden leg and stars burst in front of his eyes. He rolled onto his hands and knees feeling nauseous. A foot came down hard on his back, forcing him back to the floor. Gloved hands wrenched his wrists behind him and bound them there with cold metal handcuffs.

"I think he broke my nose. Let's go." Alex's captor's voice was thick with blood that dripped from his nose at a steady pace. He shoved Alex and nearly sent him back to the floor before the teen was pushed toward the broken glass door and out onto the patio.

Once out of the confines of the house Alex stopped walking and picked his feet up from the ground. The man's grip on him slipped and he stumbled Alex kicked at him and caught him in the kneecap. The man howled in pain and Alex whirled on the man carrying Sean.

He found himself staring at the man pointing a gun… not in his direction but at Sean's temple.

"If you move Sean will die. Right here, right now. We get paid either way." Boss leered at Alex, who remained still. "At least you are not stupid. Now, turn and go with my Helper. Anymore outbursts will result in young Mr. Wallace's death."

Alex turned, glaring at Boss for as long a time as possible. Helper latched onto his arm and limped behind him, steering him out onto the street behind the Wallace's home.

A silver moving van was waiting for them at the end of the street. As they approached the back doors swung open and a third man, larger than the first two stepped out. Helper shoved Alex into the man who quickly bundled him into the back of the van. Sean was tossed in after him. The large man Alex nicknamed Muscles jumped into the back with them and slammed the doors.

He sat up near the seats, staring at Alex as Sean crawled over to the teen and burrowed into his side. Two more doors slammed and the engine came to life with a roar. Alex heard Sean sob quietly into his side as the van pulled away.

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**Drop a review and tell me what you think of it! Feedback makes me happy and a happy me is a more productive me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I recieved several reviews for this story asking for an update and I cannot help but oblige!**

**For those of you who are not familiar with the elite branches of the UK's military, the SRR is short for Special Reconnaissance Regiment. It is basically a combat unit that has been trained for recon missions, so sort of like MI6 on a smaller level, for the army. They are trained for combat and have engaged enemies before. **

**If you want more information then go research it. Really. Do it.**

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Four hours later Neil and Laura Wallace were sitting side by side on a black leather couch, facing an impeccably dressed man with graying hair. A red haired woman sat next to Laura. They clutched each other's hands though the tears had stopped nearly an hour ago.

The door to Blunt's office was shoved open and a tall, stern woman marched through, holding a very thick file in her manicured hand. Her face was grim.

"We lost our trace on them through Rider's mobile." She informed the silent room. "It's been stationary for the past forty minutes. When agents arrived they found it in the gutter along with a watch and pocket knife." She withdrew a plastic bag from a pocket in her power suit and handed it to the redhead.

"Ms. Starbright, are these Alex's?" She asked in a softer tone. The woman nodded. Neil desperately searched for her name. Laura had mentioned it. Jenna- no, Jack! "They were headed in the direction of the Chunnel. We have people there already, they won't be able to leave the country and if they are seen the men will be arrested."

"But you haven't found my son." Laura stated dully. She looked up at Mrs. Jones with eyes bright with tears. "They say that the first forty eight hours are the most important. After that…" She burst into a fresh round of sobs, clinging to her husband's arm, burying her face in his shoulder.

"It has only been four hours, Mrs. Wallace." Blunt said, standing up. He held a clipboard that he handed to Neil. "I need both of you to sign this, please."

"What is it?" Neil asked, looking at the papers with suspicion.

"I need you to sign it before we continue. It simply states that you will not repeat anything outside of this office." Blunt paused, watching the couple. "Every moment you waste is a moment further away your son travels."

Neil gritted his teeth angrily but scribbled his name. Laura copied him and handed the clipboard back Blunt.

"Thank you. Now, I believe that in order to understand what we believe his happening, you will need to have some background information on your babysitter," Blunt began.

"He has a record?" Neil interrupted. Blunt did not answer with anything but a sharp glare.

"No. Not with the police, he does, however, have a record with us. Alex Rider was first employed by the Royal & General nearly one year ago, in place of his uncle who had recently been killed in action. Since that time he has completed several other missions, becoming our most effective agent. However, as I am sure you know, Mr. Wallace, being with the SRR, a spy makes several enemies. It seems that one of these enemies has decided to exact revenge on Mr. Rider while he was away from home, where we would have been able to prevent it."

"You employed a fourteen your old boy?" Laura sniffed. "To _spy _for you?"

"Indeed. And because of this quite a few people's lives were saved," Blunt stared at them sternly. "We are not here to debate the morality of Mr. Rider's career."

"So why did they take Sean? Why not leave him?" Neil asked.

"Because, he makes for very good leverage." Blunt explained. "Rider, on his own, would not care about personal harm, but he won't do anything to endanger another person- especially a child. Scorpia is ruthless. The death of one child will not bother them."

"I want him back." Neil said, standing. "I'm going to go to my superiors and ask for permission to go after them."

"We thought that you would." Jones spoke up. "We have already arranged for you and one of our agents to fly into Baghdad, where we believe Scorpia to be operating at the current time. You will be supplied with everything you need. A room has already been reserved for you in a downtown hotel."

"Mrs. Wallace and Ms. Starbright will be moved to a safe house and kept under watch. You will have limited communication, only in the case of an emergency," Blunt hesitated. "Scorpia is a ruthless and cruel organization, Mr. Wallace. Our agent has limited experience with them and suffered severe injuries. They will not take kindly to the fact that you are attempting to take away their prisoner or their leverage over Rider. They will not hesitate to kill you."

"I know. That's a risk that I was aware of when I joined the military." Neil said. "I'm going to get my son back. There isn't anything that you can tell me that will change my mind."

Blunt nodded, "Very well. In that case, I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors."

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**Anyways... what did you think? Of the characters, or whatever... tell me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks everyone, for the reviews! I love hearing your feedback! Just one quick note here- chapter length. Some people like big long chapters with lots of words and paragraphs. I'm not one of those people. I don't like to dedicate a paragraph simply to one thing and then over embelish it, it doesn't seem practical to me when I just skip over those when I read. Sorry if your a person who likes that but I'll not be including it in my own stories. I just thought I'd tell everyone since I've had several requests for longer chapters. **

**Anyways.... read on, and as always don't forget to review!**

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Alex didn't remember falling asleep. He certainly didn't remember getting on an airplane either. However that was where he was at the moment, with Sean was curled up to his right, his blonde head resting on the armrest that divided the seats.

Looking around revealed the plane to be a small one, probably a private or executive jet of some sort. The only other people to occupy seats were Muscles and Boss. Alex assumed that Helper was either the one flying the craft or he had been left behind because of his injuries.

Boss looked up from his book and grinned at Alex, seeing that he was awake. He said something quietly to Muscles and the hulking man approached, tugging Alex up from his seat and plopping him down in the one next to Boss. Muscles didn't join them, however, choosing to sit at the back of the plane away from everyone else.

"What?" Alex asked curtly.

"I am curious," Boss admitted. "What's your name, boy?" Alex glared stonily at him but his reaction seemed to add to Boss' delight. Alex glared at the man and his inability to anger him.

"Alex." He muttered.

"And, Alex, why were you so adamant on protecting your Mr. Wallace? Are you of some relation to him? Too old to be a brother, perhaps a cousin on his father's side?"

"No. I'm not related to Sean." Alex answered, not looking at Boss, instead out the window at the passing clouds. "Where are we going?"

"Not for you to know. Tell me why you didn't just let us take the brat." Boss commanded.

"Because I have a conscience."

"As do I," Boss chuckled. "I simply choose to ignore mine."

Alex glared at the man again as he continued to laugh to himself. The plane lurched forward and Alex felt it begin its decent. The patchy clouds obscured the windows but soon gave way to sunlight and a blue sky.

"How long have we been flying?" Alex asked, fearing the answer.

"Hmm? Nearly eight hours. You slept through most of it." Boss answered. The man didn't ask any more questions, choosing instead to return his attention to the book in his lap. Alex turned back to the window. A dense mass of green rose up to meet them slowly. Nowhere in Europe had trees like these.

"We're in South America." Alex said dumbly.

"Yes, so it would seem." Boss said without looking up. "Good at geography are you?"

"No, I'm just not stupid." Alex stated. His answer drew another chuckle from Boss but the man didn't respond in any other way. Alex flopped back into his seat and remained silent as the plane touched down roughly.

Outside the window trees sprung up like an impenetrable wall around the plane. The plane whizzed past one hanger, then a square building, then another and another. Were they at an airport?

Alex didn't voice his questions, instead standing up as soon as the plane slowed to a taxi and stopped moving all together. As far as he could tell they hadn't pulled up to any sort of gate or jet way.

Boss stood as well and pulled the lever on the door, opening it to let hot air, heavy with humidity into the plane. Boss stepped away from the door, motioning Alex through it.

"Come on, you first." He jerked his thumb toward the door and Alex obliged without looking at the man. Steps had been wheeled up to the side of the private jet but they were wobbly and difficult to maneuver while having his hands handcuffed in front of him.

Alex counted fourteen men as he stepped down from the plane. All of them dressed in camouflage pants and black vests. Each one held a very lethal looking machine gun and had an ugly glare fixed to their faces.

Boss put a hand on Alex's shoulder and steered him toward one of the small cement buildings. Alex twisted around, trying to ensure that Sean was coming with him. He was. Muscles carried the sleeping boy awkwardly, with one arm, the other one holding a duffle bag.

Boss spun Alex back around and gave him a shove toward the doors. One of the armed guards there opens it, not out of courtesy or respect, just because Boss instructs him to with a sharp look.

Inside it's cool, air-conditioned, and clean smelling, like a hospital. Grey and blue carpet covers a hard floor and the walls had been painted a blinding, spotless white. Only a few fake potted plants were kept in the long hallway for decoration. Four plain wooden doors lined the walls.

Boss opened one door and pushed Alex inside. His hands were roughly unlocked and Sean was shoved into his surprised arms, still asleep. The door was pulled shut again with a sharp snap and the unmistakable sound of a lock turning echoed it.

"Do not try to escape, Alex. There are guards posted at the door and windows. You are expendable; they will not hesitate to shoot you." Boss' voice floated through the door, muffled by the wood. "Behave yourself."

Alex shifted Sean's limp form in his arms as soft footsteps grew fainter. When there was silence Alex turned to survey the room that served as their makeshift prison.

A couch sat against the far wall next to another false plant, this one larger than the ones in the hallway. A cheap wooden desk stood in the middle of the room with a simple office chair behind it. Bookshelves lined one wall and a map of the world took up most of another.

Alex sighed and set Sean down on the couch, taking the office chair for himself. He searched the drawers, finding nothing but a stapler, a few pages of blank printer paper and various pens, pencils and erasers.

No computer, no office phone, his cell phone and pocket knife had been taken sometime in during the journey. Alex sagged back into the chair, idly spinning himself with his feet, lost in thought.

He had seen the men and he knew that a plan to escape was suicide. He wouldn't endanger Sean's life with foolish daydreams of escape. His best option was to appease the person in charge and buy time for MI6 to come to the rescue. He was confident that they would as there was now a civilian in danger as well.

Alex stretched his arms over his head and resigned himself to keeping watch over his charge and the door. No one would approach without him knowing it.

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**Please leave a review and tell me what you think. **


	4. Chapter 4

**The next one!**

**_Italics = dream_**

**_Have fun and as usual I don't own._**

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Neil stepped out of his cab, a deathtrap of a car if he had ever seen one, and climbed the three stairs to the door of the hotel. He carried only a small duffle bag with him. He had been told that his 'partner' for this mission would have the rest of whatever they would need.

The young man at the front desk smiled at Neil as he approached, showing uneven but white teeth. He spoke with heavily accented, broken English but He secured Neil's room quickly and gave him the card with a nod and a 'Good Day!'

The room, as Neil discovered, was a small suite on the twelfth floor. Seeing no sign of his partner Neil claimed the full sized bed closest to the window and deposited his bag in one of the closets. He turned on the TV, needing something making noise to occupy himself.

He sagged on his bed, watching the local news, the stress of the thing getting to him. Before the first commercial break had even begun he was dozing.

_Smoke and trees were the only things clear in the haze of the tropical heat. That and the rumbling of American Army helicopters and different voices yelling, blurring together, incoherent things to one another._

_Neil Wallace, one of the SRR's new recruits stood up shakily and dusted plaster off of his uniform. That first blast had hit far too close to where he had been. The building, though, had been completely leveled, nothing more than a mangled heap of rubble and metal._

_Someone smacked his shoulder, trying to get his attention. He turned and found one of his teammates, his best friend, Eddie Mathews. He yelled something over the noise, now including gunshots and pained screams. Neil couldn't make out the words but mouthed an 'okay' back at him. _

_Eddie ducked low and hurtled through the street, moving toward their target, a four story building that looked out of place amid the trees and flat structures dotting the ground between them. Neil followed, clutching his gun, ready to fire at anything that posed a threat to them._

_They reached the building before any of the others from the team and barged through the door, fully expecting a storm of gunfire to be unleashed upon them. The lobby, or front room, was completely devoid of human life. This suited Neil just fine. _

_They knew the layout of the building and they knew the most likely spot their target would be. His office, simply because the man, Jorge Passek, hardly ever left his office, not even when his late wife was in labor with their fourth child. _

_They reached the door to his office and stopped outside the closed door, listening. Nothing could be heard from inside. The two men looked at each other, debating silently. Wait for the rest of their team that might not make it through the large band of drug workers that had decided to defend their lord, or charge in, guns drawn and hope for the best. _

_After a moment, Neil nodded his head and Eddie seemed to be in agreement. Neil stepped back and Neil quickly got out of his way. His foot broke the wooden door cleanly in two. Eddie charged in ahead of him while he regained his balance. _

_Neil heard a loud crack and Eddie reeled backwards, into Neil's chest. Both men stumbled backwards and another shot was fired, hitting the white wall next to Neil's head. Neil dropped his friend and raised his gun. Two shots let its barrel before Jorge Passek could squeeze his trigger again. _

_The man fell backwards, landing on the floor behind his desk with a thump. He was dead. There was no way that he couldn't be. Neil's bullets had pierced his chest right over his heart. At least one, if not both would have hit his heart. _

_Turning around Neil found Eddie slumped on the small couch, clutching at his thigh. A dark crimson liquid bubbled up through his fingers despite his attempts to stem the flow._

"_Eddie!" Neil tore off the bottom hem of his pant leg and bound the would as tightly as possible, hoping to dear God that he hadn't hit an artery. He hefted the woozy man onto his shoulders and ran from the building, out into the war torn street…_

Neil sat up upon hearing the door of the room close. All weariness from his plane ride was gone. A man, carrying a misshapen duffle bag and a backpack stood at the door, grinning at Neil, who could only stare back with a small bit of disbelief.

He had known that Ben hadn't made the cut, he wasn't, however, aware that he'd been recruited by MI6 as a spy.

"Ben?" He asked, standing up. "You're my partner?"

"Of course, Snakey, m'boy!" Ben chirruped. "It's nice to see you again," his demeanor changed in an instant, becoming solemn. "I'm sorry about your son. But we'll find him."

"You're very confidant. Jones said that they wouldn't be able to leave the country. And yet, here we are." Neil said with a small sad smile, shaking his former teammate's hand firmly.

"A reassurance for your wife, probably. No mother wants to hear that her child has been taken out of the country. They'd probably known where they were going before you and Laura had even gotten there.

"But I've tracked down Alex Rider before. In Bangkok, though I can't tell you more. If anyone can find him, it'll be me." Ben said seriously. He looked around the room, blue eyes taking in every small detail. "You took the window bed. Good I hate them, too much light coming in."

Despite his foul mood, Neil allowed himself to smile as Ben's personality lightened the mood marginally. He hadn't seen much of it in Whales and it was good to see a man that he'd trained with and essentially, failed with.

"So what information do we have? Blunt and Jones shipped me here, telling me that you'd have it all."

"And I do. They believe this to be Scorpia, angry that Rider went against a contract that MI6 had with them about leaving the boy alone. He killed another of their board members recently, about three months ago. They expect this is their retaliation."

"He's deeply involved with MI6 then?" Neil asked. "They made us sign a contract, promising not to tell. They didn't exactly give us much to tell though."

"Yes, Alex is more involved with them, possibly more so than anyone else alive. But he's good at what he does and that's why we'll get him and Sean back soon, alive." Ben promised quietly.

"You're on first name terms with him?" Neil asked, trying to work out an angle on the boy that was with his son, hopefully keeping him alive. "What's he like? I've only ever met him at Brecon Beacons. Lord knows we didn't get on well there."

"He's a good spy, an even better kid. I know that he's failing school because he's either away or in the hospital. But he's smart, athletic, someone you'd want your son to be with if he had to be with anyone. He's not going to tempt Scorpia. He'll do what they want. That's how we'll catch him, get information and storm the place.

"All of the different soldiers in the area have been put on alert. They'll be watching. If they see anything they'll call it in and Blunt will pass it on to us. We'll get this thing done quickly, Neil. I don't like seeing kids involved in this stuff anymore than the next guy."

"I hope so, Ben. I just want to get my son and go home."

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**I like Ben- he's cool- and I think that sticking Neil with some unemotional MI6 agent would be cruel in his time of need. He needs a familiar face!**

**Review**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all of your support guys!**

**Here's the next one!**

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Sean awoke when the door of the room flew open. Alex had already gotten up and moved into the middle of the room, waiting for their visitors.

Boss marched in; expression unreadable, with Muscles followed him closely. Muscles stopped in the doorway and held the door for a middle aged Latina woman dressed to the nines in an expensive looking power suit. Even with her four inch heels she only stood at what Alex guessed to be around five foot four.

An angry look covered a handsome face, contorting it into something frightful. She swept her gaze over Alex quickly then turned it to Sean, still huddled on the couch. She smiled at him. The effect was worse than the angry look her face held a moment before.

"Close the door." She ordered quietly as she turned to look at Alex. "Get him out of the way. Do not let him leave the room." Muscles stepped forward towards Alex, who moved towards Sean, standing in front of him. He felt Sean squeak in fear and bundle himself further back into the couch.

"What's going on?" He asked carefully, adopting a fighting stance. The woman looked at him coolly before making a small motion to Muscles. The man surged forward, grabbing Alex's arm and pulling him toward his chest, trying to move him out of the woman's way.

Alex let himself be pulled but stepped sideways, to avoid smashing into Muscle's chest. The sudden change of momentum unbalanced Muscles for a moment. Alex took the opportunity to sweep his leg behind the man and smash his heel into the backs of his knees. Muscles fell with a pained grunt, landing in a head on the floor.

Boss stepped forward, drawing a gun from a holster at his hip. Alex instinctively took a step backwards and bumped into the desk. Muscles clawed his way back to his feet, gripping Alex's arm again. Under the threat of the gun Alex didn't resist much as his arms were pinned behind him and held in a painfully tight grip.

The woman gave him another cool look before letting Boss take over. She went to sit next to Sean on the couch, crossing her legs, looking very comfortable with herself. Boss put away the gun, drawing out, instead, a small video camera.

Alex tried to say something but was cut off by a sharp tug upwards on his arms from Muscles. Boss looked at him as he pressed the record button, giving the woman a thumbs up.

"Hello, Neil and Laura Wallace," she began. "Allow me to introduce myself to you, I am Leila Passek. Two months ago, you killed my husband, Neil. You left me alone with four children to raise. Perhaps you recognize the couch I am sitting on with your son? I think that you friend, Eddie, sat here while you bandaged his wounds."

Leila swept her hand across the couch and patted Sean on the head when she mentioned him.

"You left me with no income to support my children and no father to help me raise them. I find it befitting that I return you the favor. But I am not heartless, if you are able to get me 1.8 million by the end of the week, I'll have him dropped off at the American Embassy, along with his babysitter. You can come and get them yourself or have them brought back to England. I am sure that young Mr. Rider's family misses him as well."

Boss swung around, focusing the camera on Alex for a moment before returning it to Leila's face.

"I will hold to my word, Mr. Wallace. 1.8 million by the end of the week. I know that your wife's family has no shortage of money. If I do not receive the money, your son will be killed with a single shot. I will do it myself. The babysitter, Rider, has been reportedly difficult to control; I have no guarantees about keeping him alive. If he tests me again, I won't hesitate to have him killed as well.

"Say goodbye to your mother and father, Sean." Leila commanded. Sean mumbled out a few words, not looking at the hand held camera. "You know where to find me, Neil. _Adios hasta pronto. _

Boss turned off the camera and Leila stood up. She faced Alex with a hard look in her eyes.

"I meant what I said. If you push me or any of my men again I will kill you." Leila hissed, her faceonly inches away from Alex's. "Do you understand?"

"Yes." Alex said.

"Good. Come." She motioned to Muscles and Boss. Alex's arms were released as Muscles went to the door, holding it open for Leila.

Boss flashed Alex a smile and clapped Muscles on the door before it closed behind him, and for the second time that day the telltale click of a lock being turned echoed louder than it seemed possible in such a small room.

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**Poor them.... review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter up! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Hope you enjoy!**

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"Alan," Blunt's office door swung open and Mrs. Jones strode in at a brisk pace. "We've got a problem." Blunt didn't say anything as she opened files through his computer. Eventually a video was pulled up. Blunt watched it silently, his face betraying no thoughts or emotions.

"Well?" Mrs. Jones asked when it finished. "Do we contact Wallace and Daniels, or do we dispatch others?" Blunt was already pressing buttons on his phone.

"I want the Americans in the area on alert for him. Anyone else who we have some amount of faith in- alert them as well. I'll contact Wallace and Daniels. That will be all Tulip."

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Neil's mobile buzzed against his leg. He pulled it out, ignoring Ben's questioning look. The two of them were staking out a hotel that an American unit had seen two blonde boys go into with a man who didn't look to be related to either of them. They'd been there for nearly forty minutes and nothing had happened. Ben didn't expect anything to.

Neil looked at his phone with confusion before passing it to Ben so that the other man could look as well.

"They're sending us to Venezuela?" Ben asked. "We need to get back then, the flight leaves in an hour and half."

The phone buzzed again, persistently, as they moved towards their rental car. Ben glanced at Neil before answering the call.

"This is Blunt." A crisp voice said right away.

"Daniels."

"We've got new information, directly from the source. Rider and Wallace are located in Venezuela, the village of la Guerra de Lugar. Intel points to a large drug ring. We intercepted a video email intended for this phone. We were incorrect in our assumption of Scorpia being after Rider for revenge, this is directed at Neil Wallace. A woman called Leila Passek is demanding a total of 1.8 million for the return of both hostages. She has no qualms over killing either of them. Time is of the essence. A flight has been arranged. American army support will be at your destination to meet you."

The phone beeped and the line was dead.

"Who was it? Laura?" Neil asked as they climbed into their rental. Ben gave him back his mobile and guided the car onto the road that would take them back to their own hotel.

"No, it was Blunt." Ben paused, trying to find a suitable way to inform his friend of this new development. "Do you know a woman called Leila Passek?" He tried gently.

He saw the recognition on Neil's face before he answered. "Yes. Why? She isn't involved in Scorpia is she? Her husband was a big time drug lord but I've heard nothing about her recently."

"She's got Sean and Alex. She wants 1.8 _million_ for them. MI6 won't pay that, Neil. They don't cut deals with terrorists or anyone else who demands money."

"That woman has my son?" Neil croaked with a pale face and wide eyes.

"Why? She's got a grudge against you- what did you do?" Ben demanded, speeding up and weaving in and out of the light traffic around them on the roads. Neil was silent and Ben feared he wouldn't get an answer. "Neil? What did you do?"

"I killed her husband." Neil finally answered. "It was an assignment a few months ago. I was sent in with a small team of other SRR agents. We were there to scout out Passek's routine, the lay of the land, weak points in security, everything."

"You were planning an assassination."

Neil nodded. "One of our men was found out, he'd been snooping around in a warehouse full of cocaine, a guard found him. We had our orders to kill him when we had a chance then to get the hell out. We figured it was as good a time as any so we stormed the place. We had American reinforcements on the way and a few of them there.

"A grenade or something blew up right next to me and even though I wasn't hurt much by it I was still dazed. Another man from the unit found me, we entered the headquarters building to find Passek- we knew where he would be- and Eddie was shot. He was my best friend and they shot him. I killed Passek with two bullets. Right there in his office."

The car was silent for a moment.

"So she took Sean to get back at you." Ben said, voicing both of their thoughts. "They're flying us in to Venezuela; will they be at the same complex?"

"Yes, I think so. Passek's wife and kids lived in a villa not far from it. I can't see them moving away even though all of the cocaine was seized. I wouldn't be surprised if she's taken up the business herself."

"Then we can get in and get out with them. It's going to all be over soon, Neil."

"And when it is, I'm getting out of this line of business."

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**And there you have it! The sixth installment in this story! **

**Incase you skipped the bit up top, REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for a long wait on this! A lot of other stories have been eating up my time!**

**Anyway, here's the next one for you!**

**I hope that you enjoy!**

**Bon Apetite!**

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"Alex?"

Alex looked up quickly, hearing Sean's voice for the first time since they had been taken from the house, what Alex guessed to be nearly two days ago.

"Is my dad going to come and get us?" The question was full of timid hope, something that Alex had long ago forsaken- choosing to rely on ability and planning more than the hope of rescue. However, he couldn't tell that to a six year old who didn't belong in this world.

"Of course." Alex spun smoothly, "He's on his way right now. He's gonna be here to get you and me out of here."

Sean's eyes looked hopeful and Alex immediately felt bad for telling him what was most likely a lie. He didn't know the boy's father, but he know MI6 and they had without a doubt intercepted the video that Leila Passek had sent to the Wallace's. They wouldn't allow him to charge to the rescue- they didn't deal with ransoms or threats.

"My dad is in the army and he has a lot of friends. I bet he'll bring them all with him when he comes to get us. They're all really big, and they have guns." Sean continued, babbling with new hope after two days of near silence. "They'll all come to get us out."

Alex smiled weakly at the small boy. He had been formulating his own plan for quite some time, watching out through the small window that was locked and, after being tested with a metal leg of the couch, discovered to be made of Plexiglas or some similar substance.

He did know, from listening at the door, that the man posted there did not stay. He left for a ten minute break at two thirty everyday and left through a side door somewhere to the left of the office that Alex and Sean had been locked into.

Alex could tell that the door would break easily and he knew enough of the layout of the place to guess the guards positions. It seemed that the fourteen he had seen from his brief walk from the plane into the building was about the extent of them and that they mainly occupied the front of the building and the courtyard between the office and warehouses. Only two were left to guard the back that was butted up against the jungle.

Alex liked his odds and was willing to take a gamble on them. At the very worst, they would shoot him and take Sean back.

"Hey, Sean, do you want to get out of here?" Alex asked in a whisper, inching closer to the boy who nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, I need you to do exactly what I tell you, okay?"

"Okay. Are you sure though? My daddy told me that if I ever get lost to stay where I am until him or mommy comes and finds me. I think that we should do that." Sean said earnestly. "My dad is coming soon, you just said that."

"Yeah, I did, but if we do what I'm thinking, then he can find us faster and we can go back to England." Alex explained, trying to sway Sean over to doing what he suggested. The boy had complete faith in his father and was willing to wait for him to come and get him. Alex supposed that any child in this situation would do exactly that.

"But my dad says… well, I guess it makes since if we go to where he can find us. But we won't get into trouble. I don't want to see that lady again." Sean's hope-filled voice changed dramatically to a fearful one.

"No, we won't have to see her again. We're going to run away and hide from her, and then I'll ring your dad and tell him where we are so he can come and get us." Alex grinned as if it was the best plan ever devised and soon Sean was smiling too.

"Okay, Sean you have to stay behind me, alright? And don't try to help me, I've got everything under control." Alex said carefully. He glanced at the clock. Two thirty-three. The guard was on break and this was their chance.

Alex squared himself with the door and took a deep breath. He snapped his leg forward, once, twice and the door snapped in half. Alex dashed through as the guard barreled in through a side exit, raising his gun. Alex latched onto the other end and directed the barrel away from himself. A powerful kick to the man's solar plexus and then another to his temple landed him in a crumpled heap on the floor. Alex quickly stripped him of his bullet proof vest and forced it over Sean's head. He cleaned out his pockets of all the money he had on him and snatched up his gun.

Alex grabbed Sean's arm with his free hand and dragged him to the door the guard had come through. He peeked out and was relieved that no one seemed to be any wiser of their escape. He opened and door and moved at a jog, dragging Sean's weighed down and stumbling body behind him. They reached the fence without incident and Alex climbed quickly to the top.

He reached down and pulled Sean up, dropping him onto the other side into the already dense jungle. He dropped next to the boy and pulled him into the cover of the trees. He could see a cleared path to their right and deciding it was their best bet to freedom he headed for it, quietly commanding Sean to keep the vest on.

They struggled through the trees slowly, keeping off of the road for obvious reasons. Sean didn't complain but he often had to stop and rest under the weight of the Kevlar vest. Alex couldn't carry him and the gun so he simply sat down with him and waited for his breathing to even out until they began again.

It was difficult to tell in the dense vegetation but Alex was willing to bet that they had covered four miles before nightfall and he knew that their time of being unnoticed was running out. Dinner was brought to them at eight and they were allowed out, one at a time, to use the restrooms and bathe.

To his immense relief Alex spotted a hut and moved toward it quickly, pulling Sean behind him. When they reached it Alex nearly cried in relief. The hut gave way to a small modern resort sitting on the edge of a large hill, facing the ocean.

Alex grinned, congratulating himself on his triumphant escape with Sean safely in tow behind him. He started down the hill at an even faster pace, with the image of safety now within his sights.

It took them nearly another thirty minutes to reach the outskirts of the town and when they did, Sean was nearly crying from exhaustion. Alex took pity on him and scooped him up, giving the boy's tired feet a rest as he walked on paved streets, still toting the handgun with him.

Alex set Sean down on a curb and the boy leaned into his shoulder, nearly asleep, as Alex counted the money that he had taken from the guard. Enough for a hotel maybe, a cheap one, but as long as it had a phone and a bed, Alex didn't care how many stars it had.

They trudged another block into the town and Alex spotted a shabby little motel and made a beeline for it. He let Sean sit down by the front desk while he argued over a price for the night with the old man behind the counter, finally handing over nearly all of his money grudgingly.

They were given an old fashioned key and told a room number and Alex carried Sean to the little room they had possession of for the night.

The room was cramped and the bed lumpy but Alex collapsed onto it anyway, giving Sean permission to take off the vest.

Without thinking to make a phone call to Blunt or anyone else, Alex fell asleep with Sean curled up beside him.

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**Thanks for being patient with me, guys!**

**What did you think of this chapter?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry again for the long wait! **

**Im just now getting around to this because of life- it gets in the way sometimes.**

**Anyway, I hope that you enjoy**

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Alex awoke in a panic, sitting bolt upright in bed and gripping the gun that he had set on the bedside table. After a moment of surveying the room Alex visibly relaxed and tucked the gun into the waistband of his pocket.

Sean was still asleep and he didn't respond when Alex stood up, reaching for the room phone. He picked it up and was dialing Jack's mobile number when he noticed that there was no dial tone. Frustrated he put the phone back down and scribbled a note to Sean, telling him where he was and to stay in the room. He specifically told him not to open the door for anyone and if there was some sort of emergency before he was back, to go to the front office.

Alex left the note on the table where he thought Sean would see it and left the room in search of a pay phone or a place that might let him use their office phone for free. It was still dark out but the grey light of the sun could be seen rising above the jungle covered mountains that he and Sean had stumbled out of the day before.

As he worked his way further into the small resort town the nicer the buildings grew. Huge high rise condo buildings dominated street after street but the lights were off in the lobby and signed declared that they wouldn't be open until six. Alex had no idea what time it was.

Alex reached the street that ran parallel with the ocean and stopped, sitting on the sandy curb with his head in his hands. He stayed there for nearly ten minutes, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do with only a handful of local money, no connection with MI6 and a six year old that he was trying to keep alive.

Alex was so deeply engrossed in his thoughts that when a battered old pickup truck trundled up the road toward him, he barely spared it a glance. But as the truck lumbered up the avenue towards him Alex studied it again and upon his inspection, scrambled to his feet and made a dash toward the beach.

The truck jumped the curb behind him as Alex zigzagged across the beach, kicking up sprays of sand as he went. But even he obviously couldn't outrun a truck and it was soon behind him, then beside him. The passenger side door flew open and Alex caught a glimpse of Boss's face before he stopped running abruptly, letting the truck speed past him.

He turned and ran back in the direction that he had just come from, back toward the street, where hopefully there might be someone to help him.

Alex was halfway there when the truck caught up with him again and Boss reached out of the open doors, still firmly secured by the seatbelt. Alex grasped the gun and yanked it up, turning it to aim at Boss. But Boss was prepared and the gun was ripped out of Alex's hands as his arms were caught up in calloused hands and his kicking feet were pulled up off of the beach.

Alex braced his feet against the side of the seat and struggled to free himself of Boss' grip as the truck sped up again. Boss had a strong grip on Alex's upper arm and on the collar of his shirt and with a large heave he succeeded in pulling Alex the rest of the way into the car and slamming the door behind him.

Alex landed, sprawled awkwardly between the front and back seats of the car, his feet still in Boss's lap. The large man quickly was out of his seat and wrestled with Alex, finally succeeding in trapping his hands and cuffing them securely to the handle over the door.

Boss settled back into his seat and pulled out a phone, speaking in a clipped, annoyed tone.

"We've got the babysitter. Rider-" He began. "No, the boy wasn't with him- I don't know where he is. Yes, we'll keep looking for him. What am I doing with Rider?"

There was silence for a moment and then Boss nodded and hung up. Alex didn't like the look that Boss gave him; an odd mixture of pity and excitement. Alex knew that whatever had inspired such a look, could not be good news for him.

**

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**

"Good morning, gentlemen."

The man speaking was large and muscular, standing at six foot four and probably weighing in at nearly 300 lbs. His sandy hair had been cut in a standard military crew cut and it suited his square, hard face perfectly.

"I am Sergeant Browns; I'm in charge of all the United Nations soldiers here in the Gaza Strip. I've received a phone call from a man called Blunt as well as orders from several of my superiors to aid you in any way that I am able." He spoke briskly, with a slight drawl in his voice. "So tell me, gents, what can I do for you?"

Browns leaned forward and pressed his palms into the metal table that divided them. His stare was intense and it was apparent that he was a man used to being obeyed by his lesser.

"We need men-" Ben began but he was cut short by Neil who stood up and leaned on the table, palms down, mirroring Sergeant Browns' own pose. They stared at each other for a moment before Neil spoke.

"We need a boat."

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**DUN DUN DUN DUNNNN!**


	9. Adoption Notice

To whom it may concern:

I'm horribly sorry to everyone who has been waiting forever for updates on any and all of my stories!

I've had to make a very tough executive decision and I have chosen to put any of my unfinished stories up for adoption. Please contact me if you would like permission to carry on where I've left off. I would still like to beta for the stories, since they were originally mine. Sort of like visiting rights.

If anyone is interested contact me, tell me your ideas and I'll get back to you about it right away!

Love,

Klutzie


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